Woodcutting (often abbreviated as WC or WCing) is a gathering skill that involves chopping down different types of trees and vegetation. For each type of tree, a minimum Woodcutting level and a hatchet are required to cut it. With each level up, a player will be able to cut trees faster than previously. Additionally, for every improvement in hatchet used, from bronze to crystal, one's Woodcutting speed increases.

The current minimum requirement to be ranked (at approximately rank 1,283,089) on the hiscores for Woodcutting is level 15. As of 16 August 2018, there are 180,555 current members that have achieved level 99 in Woodcutting. There are 3,674 current members that have achieved level 120 in Woodcutting.

There are a wide range of trees, ranging from normal trees to magic trees as well as a few rarer trees and other types of vegetation.

Contents

General overview

As a player chops down a tree of a certain type, the corresponding logs will appear in their inventory. The player can then light the logs with a tinderbox (or with a bow if the player is a member who has completed Barbarian Training) to raise their Firemaking skill, cut them with a knife and make them into bows using the Fletching skill, or sell them to other players for money. This makes Firemaking and Fletching highly dependent on Woodcutting.

In order to chop a tree, a player will need to have a hatchet of a level they can use. Hatchets can be wielded in the weapon slot in order to gather more wood in the inventory, provided players have a high enough Attack level to use the type of metal the hatchet is, as it is still considered a weapon. Alternatively, a hatchet may be placed in the tool belt to achieve the same effect without requiring the needed attack level, as well as to ensure constant access to it. Normal and Achey trees only provide one log per tree; however, higher level trees are able to generate as much as a full inventory of logs per tree.

Hatchets can be bought from Bob'sstore (located in Lumbridge), from the Grand Exchange, or smithed by players using the Smithing skill (except for black, sacred clay, dragon, and crystal hatchets, as well as the Inferno Adze, which cannot be smithed). However, Bob only sells bronze, iron, and steel hatchets. Bronze hatchets are given for free as a demo. Players will have to buy better hatchets from other players, buy them from the Grand Exchange, or smith the hatchets themselves. The Inferno Adze is a reward from the All Fired Up minigame. Sacred clay hatchets may only be obtained from the Stealing Creation minigame. Currently, the crystal hatchet is the best hatchet in the game.

A player chopping a tree using Woodcutting.

To chop down a given variety of tree, players will need a certain Woodcutting level and a hatchet which they are able to use. For example, a player will need a Woodcutting level of 75 to cut a magic tree. A certain Woodcutting level is also required to use each hatchet. For example, a player will need a Woodcutting level of 41 to use a rune hatchet. A certain Attack level is required to wield a hatchet. For example, a player will need an Attack level of 50 to wield a rune hatchet. The Inferno Adze requires level 92 Firemaking and level 61 Woodcutting to use, but only requires level 1 Attack to wield.

Trees are easy to find, as they are located all throughout RuneScape (the exceptions to this are Morytania and the Wilderness, where many of the trees cannot be chopped down, only examined). An uncommon, high level tree, such as a yew tree, will have its position indicated on the mini-map with a special tree icon. To cut a tree, players have to find one and then left-click on it. When the player is done cutting, they can then set the logs on fire with a tinderbox to obtain Firemaking experience, fletch them, or sell them to other players. Players also have the choice of dropping the logs, but it is not advised, as it takes a long time to drop an inventory. The player will not make a profit with this method of training.

Free players can only cut regular, oak, willow, maple, and yew trees. Previously, the Maple Trees were members-only, but the log itself was non-members. The Dungeoneering update of 19 July 2010 designated a resource dungeon where free players with a Dungeoneering level of 30+ could cut them.

These trees can be found in the Hardwood Grove by Tai Bwo Wannai, a village on member servers; a single tree in the woods south of Castle Wars; and on Ape Atoll, an island inhabited by monkeys, where three trees are found next to the dungeon entrance. Requirements are completion of Monkey Madness and having a monkey greegree. Players must pay 100 trading sticks, the currency in Tai Bwo Wannai, each time they enter the Hardwood Grove. They are also found in the Kharazi Jungle, Mos Le'Harmless and near the Ruins of Uzer. Players cutting Teaks will occasionally get a Special teak log, which they can take to the Sawmill for sale or free log conversion.

These are found east of Canifis, a village on members-only servers. A successful cut on a hollow tree will net 82.5 Woodcutting experience. Players who receive a piece of bark with their cut instead receive 357.7 Woodcutting experience.

These can be found in the Hardwood Grove by Tai Bwo Wannai, a village on member servers. Players must pay 100 trading sticks, the currency in Tai Bwo Wannai, each time they enter the fenced-in area where the trees are. They are also found on Ape Atoll, in the Kharazi Jungle and Mos Le'Harmless. Players cutting Mahogany trees will occasionally get a Special mahogany log, which they can take to the Sawmill for sale or free log conversion.

These trees give the most experience per log for free players. Free players can find these trees in Edgeville, south of Falador, north of Varrock Palace, in the Lumbridge graveyard and various other locations. Members-only spots are in the Seers' Village churchyard, south of Legends Guild, west of Catherby, and other places.

These grow on many walls of buildings around RuneScape, including the north wall of Varrock Palace and Falador walls, the east wall of the East Ardougne church, the south wall of Castle Wars, the north wall of Yanille and the lower wall of Taverley. They give no logs but can drop bird's nests.

Cutting these trees takes time as they give logs at a comparatively slow rate. These trees are found at the Mage Training Arena, Sorcerer's Tower, south-west of Lletya and just a tiny bit east of the Ranging Guild. There are also a few just north of the Agility course in the Gnome Stronghold and at the eastern edge. In addition, there are 6 magic trees in the Varrock Sewers resource dungeon. Due to the level 65 Dungeoneering requirement, this dungeon is often empty.

These trees can only be cut after completing Spirit of Summer. There is only one cursed magic tree, found in the Spirit Realm's counterpart for the Western Ruins. When you cut down this tree in the spirit world, the one in the real world will spawn, and vice versa. When you get logs from a cursed magic tree and then go back to the real world, they will transform into regular magic logs.

Straight roots and curly roots are located exclusively in the Jadinko Lair and are harvested four at a time in two stages, giving 80.5 experience each. The curly roots are used exclusively for Firemaking, while the straight roots may be hardened over a fire for no experience and fletched into sagaie shafts.

Elder trees are members only trees that are found throughout the members and non-members world. Since they require level 90 woodcutting to cut, only a few players will be at any given location, if any. Unlike other trees, elder trees can be chopped for 5 minutes starting from the first action, before losing their branches. After a cool-down period of 10 minutes the branches will regrow, and they can be chopped again.

Sacred or Volatile clay hatchets are obtained from the Stealing Creation minigame, as either a volatile tool or a morphic tool. They are equivalent to rune hatchets in speed. Both can be used to give bonus experience, the Sacred clay hatchet gives 24,450 while the Volatile clay hatchet 29,340 but must be randomly converted to a hatchet (however, it does not revert to a tool on claiming bonus experience or recharging).

The Inferno Adze is a reward from the All Fired Up minigame. It requires level 92 Firemaking, as well as a few other skill requirements (for some beacons) to get and use, however it can be achieved with as low as level 86 Firemaking with a spicy stew and a bit of luck. However, if the Firemaking requirement is boosted to get it, the player is able to use it but not wield it. It can be used as a hatchet (equivalent cutting speed to the dragon hatchet) or as a pickaxe (equivalent mining speed to the rune pickaxe), with an added effect of a roughly 30% chance of burning logs as they are cut, giving both Firemaking and Woodcutting experience.

The Crystal hatchet is acquired by trading in a Dragon hatchet along with 4,000 harmonic dust to Lady Ithell in the Ithell area of Prifddinas after completing the quest Plague's End. It is 15% faster than the Dragon hatchet.

Machetes

To cut a jungle, players cannot use a hatchet. Instead, they need a machete, which must be wielded. There is no Attack or Woodcutting level required to wield any kind of machete.

Types of machetes

This is the slowest of the four types of machetes. It can be bought from Tai Bwo Wannai's general store, the Shilo Village general store, from Radimus Erkle's cupboard, or Rasolo, the peddler south-west of Glarial's grave.

This is the fastest machete. It can also be bought from Gabooty or crafted by Safta Doc.

Jungle

There are three different kinds of jungles: light jungles, medium jungles, and dense jungles. When players hack a jungle, they receive thatch spars and initiate the Tai Bwo Wannai Cleanup minigame. Jungles are members-only.

Types of Jungle

Jungle

Level

Experience

Light

10

32

Medium

20

55

Dense

35

80

Canoes

Canoes are used to travel on the River Lum, which goes from Lumbridge all the way to level 35 Wilderness. However, a certain Woodcutting level is needed to carve the canoe tree into certain types of canoe. On 15 February 2011, canoes became free to play.

How to make canoes

To make a canoe, players have to find a canoe tree and have with them a hatchet that they have the required Woodcutting level to use. (With the 15 February 2011 canoe update, it is no longer necessary to have a hatchet to make a canoe; the canoe tutor will lend you a hatchet for free. When you are done constructing the canoe, you automatically return the hatchet you borrowed to the canoe tutor). Canoe trees can be found at canoe stations. These stations are located along the River Lum, in the following places:

Level 35 Wilderness: At the lake south of the moss giants. Players cannot make a new canoe at this station.

When the player has found a canoe tree at one of these stations, they can cut the tree down. The player then has to click on the fallen tree and select what type of canoe they want to make. When the player has made the canoe they want, they then can click on the canoe to push it in the river. When in the river, the player can then click on the canoe and select where they want to go.

Canoes can only go to a certain number of stations away. Higher level canoes can go farther than the lower level canoes.

Types of canoes

Canoe

Required Level

Experience

Notes

Log

12

30

Can travel to one station away from where the player made it. Cannot enter the Wilderness.

Dugout

27

60

Can travel up to two stations away from where the player made it. Cannot enter the Wilderness.

Stable dugout

42

90

Can travel up to three stations away from where the player made it. Cannot enter the Wilderness.

Waka

57

150

Can travel to any station, including the Wilderness. (Players cannot make a new canoe from this station.)

Sawmill

The Sawmill is a members-only area in which players with a Woodcutting level of 80 or higher can produce planks from logs, but when they are done, they cannot leave with the logs. The logs are obtained from log piles nearby, then converted into planks using the nearby machine. Then the planks must be cut by using the planks on a cutting table; a saw is required to do this. Using a crystal saw gives double the experience, in comparison to using a regular saw. Using a crystal saw will only double the experience gained from making each plank, NOT the experience reward given for completion of each task. It is not suggested to use sawmill training unless you have the crystal saw. While using the crystal saw in the sawmill, it will not lose charges. Sawmill training can be a more efficient way of gaining experience, up to 100,000 an hour, however it will only be better than ivy when using the crystal saw. Still, many players prefer ivy, as it is less click-intensive.

Special logs

Special teak logs and Special mahogany logs can be sold to the Sawmill Operator, north-east of Varrock or exchanged for a completely free conversion of the logs in your inventory into planks. The free conversion requires 2 of the same type of special log, which can be noted.

2 special teak logs can be used to convert up to 27 teak logs into teak planks, if the special logs are noted.

2 special mahogany logs can be used to convert up to 27 teak logs and/or mahogany logs into teak/mahogany planks, if the special logs are noted.

If you have only 1 special log or 1 of each type of special log, the sawmill owner will only offer to buy your special logs.

Nests and geodes

If the player is a member, a bird's nest may fall out of any tree they are cutting. Wearing a strung rabbit foot gives a better chance of getting a bird's nest drop while Woodcutting; however, this requires at least level 24 Hunter. One can either pick up the nest and search it or just leave it on the ground, though it is highly recommended that the player search it. When the player searches it, they will be given a random item, either a plain gold ring, or a sapphire, emerald, ruby, or diamond ring if it has a ring in the nest; a red, green, or blue bird's egg (can be hatched in an incubator with level 70 Summoning) if there is a red, green or blue egg in the nest respectively; a raven egg (can be hatched in an incubator with level 50 Summoning) if there is a grey egg in the nest; and a random seed if there are some seeds in the nest. These seeds can be worth quite a lot of money on the Grand Exchange, such as Papaya tree seeds (3,142) and Magic Tree seeds (56,047). The empty nest can be ground with a pestle and mortar to get a crushed nest, an ingredient in the Saradomin brew.
This means that players training for a Woodcutting Skillcape may accumulate some profit, even if they are using ivy to train. A crushed nest will sell for about 6,603.

Discontinued woodcutting random events

Axe head: While cutting trees, a player's axe might split, causing the axe head to fly off. The head would land somewhere nearby, usually 3 to 10 squares away. When this happened, the player had to find the axe head quickly before someone else saw it and took it. (Dragon axe heads were often targets for other players due to their large value.) When the player had found the axe head, he or she could then use it with their handle to put the axe back together. Due to player complaints, Jagex determined that loss of the axehead was unfair to players, and the event was discontinued when the Surprise Exam! random event was added.

Dr. Ford: While cutting trees, a piece of wood could fall on a player causing them to get dizzy. With their vision blurred, they had to guess how many fingers Dr. Ford was holding up, to get a fruit. Otherwise, they would be taken away. This event was removed fairly soon due to various glitches it caused. This event also used to exist in Mining.

Ents: A tree could turn into an Ent at any time. Players could tell if the tree they are cutting is an Ent because the tree would start shaking, gain an angry face somewhere on its trunk, a yellow dot would appear on the mini-map where the tree is, the name of the tree would be in yellow instead of a teal colour, and the tree would be bigger than normal. As soon the tree started showing the symptoms of an Ent, players would have to walk away and wait for the tree to transform back into its original state. If the player kept cutting the tree, the Ent would break the axe. To fix it, players would have to take the axe back to Bob of Bob's Axes, located in Lumbridge, to get it fixed for a price. However, the Inferno Adze and Sacred Clay axe, obtained from the Stealing Creation minigame, could not break. (Ents have been superseded by Evil Trees as a Distraction and Diversion [members-only]).

Tree spirits: While cutting trees, a Tree Spirit would appear and begin attacking a player. The combat level of the spirit depended on the combat level of the player it was attacking, but it would always be higher than that of the player. The Tree Spirit's combat level varied from level 14 to 159. The player could either kill it or run away from it. If a player killed a Tree Spirit, it could drop some axes, herbs and seeds for members, bananas, runes, various miscellaneous items, or nothing at all (usually, the level 80+ ones gave rune axes). (Tree Spirits are still available in RuneScape, but only to members attempting to cut trees in the Enchanted Valley).

Making money

The logs gathered through Woodcutting can be sold for profit, with higher-level logs usually selling for more. The most popular logs for money are yew logs, which sell for around 167, magic logs, for around 379 coins each, and elder logs, for around 9,132 coins each (cutting Magic and Elder logs is not recommended for those trying to get experience to reach level 99). The average income a player can get per hour with 99 Woodcutting varies from tree to tree, but with Elder logs it is possible to get approximately 500k.

Players can also get nests from trees, which contain tree seeds, rings or bird's eggs. The nest itself can be ground and sold (or used) as well.

Equipping the Woodcutting Cape of Accomplishment or operating the cape while it is worn will temporarily boost your Woodcutting level to 100. To obtain this cape, level 99 Woodcutting is required, and it must be bought from Wilfred for 99,000 coins.

A Beaver, a Summoning familiar, invisibly boosts the player's Woodcutting level by 2.

A god banner grants a visible +2 Woodcutting boost for 30 minutes once per day.

Eating a Rosaberry will grant a +2 Woodcutting boost, but will also reduce Defence by 1. These berries can stack but require level 86 farming to grow.

When using the inferno adze to chop, and wearing the flame gloves and the ring of fire, Firemaking experience increases by 5 percent. About 35 percent of the experience players get from Woodcutting is gained in Firemaking as well, due to the Inferno adze burning some logs. The inferno adze will not burn anything when you chop ivy or crystal trees, because there is nothing to burn; it will then act like a normal Dragon hatchet.

A Seer's headband 1 or higher may give players an extra log while cutting regular trees.

Gallery

Trivia

In the early history of RuneScape, only regular trees could be cut. The experience given was based on the player's Woodcutting level: $ 28.25 + 1.75 * (Woodcutting / level) $. After the Fletching skill was added, it was briefly reduced to 12.5 experience, then doubled to 25 experience per regular log. While Jagex compensated for this by adding one-click woodcutting, many players (especially free users) were upset that training Woodcutting would take much longer.

Woodcutting animations were updated on 11 November2008, so the chopping appears much faster and smoother.

Hatchets were referred to in-game as "axes" until an update on 1 April2009. The change was made to reduce confusion with battleaxes and pickaxes.